Internal-combustion turbine engine



R. L. MOYER INTERNAL-COMBUSTION TURBINE ENGINE Nov. 28, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 30, 1945 WW QR MN t- Juan/WM lqzchardLA loyer,

Nav. 28, 1950 R. L. MOYER INTERNAL-COMBUSTION TURBINE ENGINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 30, 1945 Richard L.- Mos/er,

Nov. 28, 1950 I R. L. MOYER INTERNAL-COMBUSTION TURBINE ENGINE 3 SheetsSheet 3 Filed March 30, 1945 ichard L. Mayer,

Patented Nov. 28, 1959 im-m INTERNAL-COMBUSTION TURBINE ENGINE Richard L. Moyer, Reading, Pa.

Application March 30, 1945, Serial No. 585,585

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvementsin engines, and more particularly to a rotary engine ofthe turbine type adapted for operation in response to the reaction produced thereon by the explosive force resulting from the burning of a combustible fuel admitted into'and ignited in a combustion chamber.

An'important object of the present invention is to provide a turbine of this character which functions to obtain the desired propelling action without requiring the use of valve mechanism or other moving parts for the feeding, igniting and discharge of the products of combustion.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a unitary power plant embodying an air compressor and a turbine mounted on a single shaft and embodying a novel structure.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus of this character of simple and practical construction, which is economical in its operation,

relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended. a

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in'which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view with parts broken away and shown in section.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on a line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on a line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of the air compressor taken on a line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the turbine taken substantially on a line 5-5 of Figure l.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration '1 have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention. the numeral 5 designates an annular housing forming an internal combustion chamber 6, the side walls of 1 the housing being of conical construc-' tion, as indicated at l, to converge at the peripheral edge of the chamber 5.

One end of the housing 5 is supported on a suitable frame (not shown) and the other end of the housing is formed with a fixed shaft 8 carrying bearing assemblies 9 positioned .in a rotatable hollow shaft in, the shaft in being journaled at one end in a suitable support or frame I l.

The other end of the shaft i is formed with a conical member l2 terminating in its outer edge in an annular flange l3, the member l2 and flange l3 surrounding one side and the central portion of the housing in therefrom.

air compressing I spaced r lation 00 A ring it is secured to the inner side of the flange l3 by means ofbolts or the like l5, the.

inner surface of the ring being positioned in substantially close rotating contact with the outer surface of the central portion of the housing 5 toform a turbine wheel surrounding the housing.

The central portion of the housing 5 is formed with a plurality of tangentially extending ports is extending therethrough and the ring member" or turbine wheel I4 is formed with a series of I radially extending turbine blades l1 spaced apart circumferentially of said ring and in radial align- 1 ment with the ports l6 so that the spaces l8 between adjacent blades communicate with the outer ends of these ports.

The inner. ends of, the blades I! are beveled or inclined, as indicated at l9, to enlarge the spaces l8 at their inner ends, as ,will be apparent from an inspection of Figure 2 of the drawings, the angle of the beveled edges l9 being arranged to place the turbine wheel under the propelling force of gases expelled through the ports it to rotate the turbine.

The center of the turbine with an annular rib 2|] at one side .of the blades ll, the rib being formed with a plurality of inclined tapering passages M which have their smaller ends communicating with the. spaces it between the blades ll respectively and have their widerends in communication with an annular extend outwardly at the side of the casing for connectionto an annular exhaust manifold by wheel M is formed Y means of the pipes 26. The manifold has an exhaust pipe 2'l extending therefrom to the atmosphere.

In the outer side of the casing 5 is mounted afuel spray nozzle 28 having a fuel pipe 29 and a compressed air pipe 30 attached thereto, the fuel pipe 29 leading from a. fuel supply tank (not shown and the air pipe 30 communicating with an air compressor designated generally at 31.

The pipes 29 and 30 have control valves 32'and 33, respectively, therein operated by a common throttle lever for regulating the mixture of fuel and air admitted to the chamber 5.

A compressed air supply pipe 35 also leads from the air compressor 311 to the fuel tank for forcing the fuel under pressure through the pipe 29.

The air compressor 3i comprises a stationary annular casing 36 secured to a suitable support by members 36a and forming a chamber 31 therein having an inwardly sloping front wall 38, the front wall 88 terminating at its inner edge in an annular flange 39 having a beveled rib 40 on its inner edge adapted to seat in a V-shaped groove 4i formed on-the outer face of a valve plate 42,

- which is freely mounted in the chamber 31 and yieldably urged in a closed position against the rib 43 by means of a plurality of lead springs 43 bearing against the rear surface of the plate.

The inner edge of the opening formed in 'the wall 33 is also provided with a flange 44 also A blower-designated generally at 41 is secured I to the shaft l within the sloping wall 33 of the casing 38, the blower including a plurality of fan blades 43 arranged in groups disposed in longifrom said combustion 4 chamber to saidperipheral surface, an annular groove in said peripheral surface providing an annular chamber" at one side of said series of parts, and exhaust ports leading from said groove to the exterior of said body, a

i fixed shaft extending from one end of said body,

and airand fuel inlet nozzle in the opposite end of said body for injecting a combustible mixture into said combustion chamber, a ring surrounding the peripheral surface of said body havin therein an annularly arranged series of turbine blades separated by'spaces, said ring having a tudinally spaced relation along the shaft in and cooperating to blow air inwardly through the opening in the front wall 33 of the casing into the chamber 31, the force of the air serving to move the valve plate 42 inwardly to admit the air into the chamber 31 for compression therein.

when the shaft I 0 and blower 41 are idle, the springs 43 will serve to close the valve plates 42 and thus preventescape of the air compressed in the chamber 31.

Tothe outer end of the shaft I0 is attached a fly wheel pulley 49 by means of which the power generated by the engine may be utilized for any useful purpose.

A plug 60 is threaded in the outer end of the shaft in providing means for filling the shaft and the space between the inner side of the casing 5 and the conical member 12 with a lubricant.

A spark plug ii is mounted in the outer wall of the casing 5 and connected to a suitable source of current to ignite the fuel admitted in the chamber by the nozzle. I

In operation of the device an electric motor (not shown) may be connected to the pulley 49 for rotating the shaft Ill and blower 41, as well as the turbine wheel II in order to initially provide a desired pressure of air in the chamber 31.

The engine may then be started by opening the valves 32 and 33 whereby compressed air and fuel will be mixed and sprayed into the combustion chamber 6 through the spray nozzle 28 and ignited therein by the spark plug BI, and the fuel constantly burned.

The force of the burning gases being discharged through the port It, in striking the bail'les or blades ll of the turbine wheel 14 will tation ofthe wheel and the, products of combustion will be exhausted through the passages 2| in the rib into the chambers 22 and 23 and outwardly through the exhaust manifold 25 and exhaust pipe 21,

During the rotation of the turbine whe'el l4, the blower 41 willbe operated to maintain the desired pressure of air in the chamber 31.

It is to be understood that the form of the incause rovention as herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred embodiment of the same, and that various changes in shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is: 1. An internal combustion turbine engine comprising a hollow body of circular cross sectional shape having a cylindrical peripheral surface and providing a closed combustion chamber internally thereof, said body having a series of tangentially arranged, spaced apart parts therein extendi g and also having therein groove providing an annular chamber in registry with the annular chamber in said hollow body,

inclined tapering paseases the smaller ends of which communicate with the spaces between said blades respectively and the larger ends of whichare in communication with the annular chamber in said ring, a hollow shaft journaled upon said fixed shaft-and a conical member connecting said hollow shaft and said ring for rotation of said ring upon said hollow body.

2. An internal combustion prising a gas turbine and an air compressor driven by said turbine to supply combustion air to the latter, a hollow bodyof circular cross sectional shape having a thickened annular'wall provided with a cylindrical spherical surface and providing a combustion chamber internally thereof, a cylindrical ring rotatable upon the peripheral surface of said body, a fixed shaft projecting from one end of said hollow body, a hollow shaft surrounding and iournaled upon said fixed shaft. means connecting said ring to said hollow shaft, and a fuel and air nozzle mounted in said hollow body to inject a combustible mixture into said combustion chamber, the annular wall of said hollow body having tangentially disposed parts therethrough leading from said combustion chamber to the exterior of said annular wall and.

" body, and said ring having angularly spaced turbine blades therein in alignment with said jet passages and an annular chamber spaced from said blades and communicating with the annular chamber in said hollow body, said annular chamber in said ring being separated from said blades by an annular rib having inclined, tapered passages extending therethroush which passages communicate at their smaller ends respectively with the spaces between adjacent turbine blades and at their larger ends with the annular chamber in said ring. RICHARD L. MOYER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,854,615 Lasley Apr. 19, 1932 2,112,672 Lasley Mar. 29, 1938 2,318,905 Traupel May 11, 1943 2,323,617 Osborne July 6, 1943 2,358,301 Brauns Sept. 19, 1944 2,383,004 Mader Aug. 21, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 23,740 Great Britain of 1895 665,699 France Sept. 20, 1929 turbine engine conf- 

